Ruger’s Purchase of Marlin: Saving An American Company

Marlin is a well-known name in the firearms industry. Esteemed for their lever action guns, Marlin was another one of those companies that proved the American dream was real. But like many great companies, having a popular name and product isn’t all that it takes to remain great.

Marlin has an interesting past that makes holding a Marlin rifle even more memorable. Lever-action guns were the new modern firearms back in the late 1800s but they faded from the spotlight as rifles evolved into the modern guns we have today. But like anything else, old things become the newest rage as people become tired of the same old thing. Sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes not so much — I was glad to see mullets disappear, but now those are back again too!

Clothing, hair, music, cars, furniture, and just about everything else is affected by this trend. Guns also go through this trend, but unlike some hairstyles, it’s almost always a good thing. Most people who appreciate the craftsmanship and history of guns love to see a company revive a classic firearm. This is why revolvers, lever-action rifles, and a slew of semi-auto guns from the past are so popular now.

It’s hard to buy very many guns without wanting to own a Western-style rifle, a WWII classic, or a peacemaker from the days of the West. Marlin is one of those names and Ruger has managed to not just keep it alive, but help it thrive with updates to its classic models.

The founding of Marlin Firearms

Back in the day, there were only a handful of larger gun companies, and it seems that they were all connected in one way or another. Marlin is one of those companies and its connection is traced back to Colt Firearms, or more precisely one of its employees. John Mahlon Marlin worked for Colt during the Civil War and had served as a tool and dye apprentice before that.

By 1870, Marlin opened his own gun shop in New Hampshire that produced revolvers and derringers of his own design. In 1881, Marlin started focusing his efforts on lever-action rifles which would lead to some of his first successful rifles like the model 1889, 1893, 1894, and 1895. Today, gun companies like to make up cool names for their guns. But back then, they were happy with using the year the gun was invented.

Marlin couldn’t have known that his name would be well-known more than 100 years later. John Marlin died in July of 1901, but he left behind a company that would live on for decades. After his death, the company grew beyond what Marlin could have imagined. During WWI, the company was one of the largest manufacturers of machine guns for the United States. They also made parts for the M1 Garand in WWII and 9mm submachine guns for the US and its allies.

The Golden Days, Darker Days, and Hopeful Days

By the time Marlin died, his company had a reputation for making quality rifles. The company took on new leadership in 1924. when Frank Kenna purchased the company at auction. He continued with the tradition of developing quality lever-action guns and the company continued to grow. For some time, Marlin couldn’t quite catch up to its biggest rival, Winchester, but that all changed in the mid-70s when Marlin started to outsell Winchester in lever-action rifles. The Kenna family owned Marlin Firearms until December of 2007 when it was purchased by the Remington Arms Company. Remington then proceeded to close the Marlin manufacturing plants and move operations to its Remington facilities.

The company, however, started to have financial problems and filed for bankruptcy in 2018. They managed to continue operations for a couple of years but then filed again in 2020. This time it was Sturm Ruger & Company that swooped in to save Marlin. They purchased the company for 28.3 million during the bankruptcy process.

Some saw this as a no-brainer, but others thought the company was too far gone to resurrect after Remington’s troubled past. Unlike many of the other well-known companies, Ruger is not as old. Formed just after WWII, the company was best known for making .22 caliber guns. Sturm Ruger & Company is now publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and has made some big steps in moving into other areas of the firearm industry. Ruger’s purchase of Marlin brought some hope for those who loved the lever-action gun.

Along Came Ruger to Save the Day

Ruger is a well-known brand but not for making lever-action guns. Their most popular guns included the Ruger Mark series, the GP100, and the Redhawk line. They started moving into the semi-auto market of larger calibers, but it was hit-and-miss for the company.

They started to see a lot more success with their LCP (light compact pistol) and LCR (light compact revolver) as they entered the CCW market. Now they offer a line of light compact pistols that shoot great and are reasonably priced. The purchase of a lever-action rifle company, however, was a surprise to many. This left a lot of room for speculation with a company known for making firearms that sell on the low end of the scale. Would they strip them down to something else and offer a cheaper lever-action gun?

What they did was continue to make the same high-quality, lever-action guns we all know and love. Ruger has made some changes and improvements to certain models, but these changes have been met with positive reviews from customers. Marlin offers threaded barrels, Picatinny rails, and is even moving into the new market of tactical lever-action rifles.

Some companies decline in quality, value, and craftsmanship when they are bought out by larger companies. But Ruger has given new life to the legendary company. I think John Marlin would be proud to see his classic lever-action guns still being produced today.

Summary

Not everyone likes liver-action guns and that’s okay. I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t give them a second glance when I first got into firearms. But the more I learned about guns, their inventors, and their history, the more my appreciation grew for all types of guns. Now, a classic or modern lever-action gun catches my eye as fast as any other gun.

They have history and class that make them stand apart. I hope Ruger continues to develop and grow the Marlin line of lever-action guns. Maybe they could even offer a hybrid lever-action/magazine-fed rifle like those I’m starting to see hit the market. Who knows what they will do next, but they have my attention and I’m waiting patiently.